Ready
by kachilee07
Summary: After the disaster from last time, she has a right to be uncertain. But he's always right there, calming her fears. They might not be ready, but they'll figure it out, together.


**Author's Note: So this came about because of a certain beach picture that was taken a few days ago. Then Manda decided to torture me with ideas and wellll...here you go. :-P**

**Takes place a few months after the "Lost Without You" one shot. But as with all everything, it's not necessary to have read any of them to understand this. Just helps. **

**Enjoy the randomness (and the insane cheesy fluffiness) of my brain. :-)**

* * *

"Kate come on. Just take the wrap off and relax," James pleaded with her as he set down their daughter in the sand. One eye was trained on her to make sure that she didn't run off; the other was on his wife. She had set out the beach blankets and was standing there, her brow furrowing as she debated. She shook her head at her husband.

"No. I told you I'd come out today, but I don't want to take this off."

As if decided, she sat down on the blanket and stretched her legs out. Yet she frowned, clearly not happy with this. James gave her an amused look.

"Babe. You love the beach. You love laying in the sand. So why are you torturing yourself by wearing that ridiculous thing?" he asked, his hand gesturing to her outfit. Kate reached a hand up to touch onto her large sunhat, the beginnings of a pout on her face.

"Hey! My sunhat is totally practical. And I love how huge and ridiculous it is," she protested. James laughed.

"Not that, although it is ridiculous. I meant that stupid towel like thing you're wearing. What the hell is that?"

"It's not stupid. It's protective. Besides, it's not like it's summer anymore. I mean, it's October for goodness sake."

James raised an eyebrow at her. "Kate. We're in Los Angeles, not Alaska. Everyone here is in a swimsuit, including Naomi," he said, gesturing towards their daughter attempting to build a sand castle. "All except for you."

Kate sighed and looked down.

"Yeah well, I'm not exactly swimsuit ready right now. I feel like a whale."

"Babe, you're pregnant. Not a humongous swimming mammal. I love you and think that you're absolutely beautiful like this. Now come on," he cajoled, placing a hand on her shoulder to rub. "Take it off and just enjoy the day with us."

She hesitated for a few more moments before slowly shrugging out of her cover up. Once she had put it up, her hands came around her bared midriff, covering up her protruding stomach. James reached over and tugged on her hand, pulling her over onto the sand with him. He kept her hand in his, preventing her from hiding.

"Beautiful," he murmured, placing a kiss on the back of her hand that was clasped in his own. Kate felt the heat rise up on her cheeks unwittingly. Even now, after the years they had been together, he still had a way of making her blush.

"Mommy!"

Kate lifted her head at the sound of her daughter's voice. She saw her sitting, legs covered in sand as she attempted to build a sand castle on top of them.

"Castle!" she said, pointing to the lump of sand covering her small legs, clearly proud with herself. Kate let out a laugh.

"Yes it is, baby. And a beautiful one too," she responded, a huge smile on her face. James chuckled in her ear, just as amused. "Go help your daughter with her castle, Dad," she murmured to him.

One step ahead of her, James pulled out the toy buckets and shovels out of their oversized beach bag before moving to the small child. He laughed as she scrambled up out of the sand towards her father, the grains landing on him in the process.

Kate sat there, enjoying the feel of the warm sand on her bare skin as she watched her husband and daughter together. Her hand came up to rest on her stomach, absently running in circles over the small bump.

She was almost five months along and already showing much more than with Naomi. Her hand ran across the scar along her stomach, as if to hide it from the world. Trepidation crept up in her as she looked down at it. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. After one miscarriage and the disaster that happened when Naomi was born, she had a right to be uneasy.

But Dr. Alexander had okayed everything. In fact, at her last check up only a few days ago she had pronounced both Kate and the baby to be absolutely healthy. And both her and James were monitoring Kate closely, to make sure that there wouldn't be a repeat of last time.

The sound of her daughter's delighted giggles had her looking up once more. James had taken her out in the water, holding onto her hands as he swung her back and forth, her small feet brushing the waves. After a few minutes of this, he set her down, keeping her hands firmly in his. They stood there, letting the waves hit their feet. Naomi let out a shriek every time the water came up to her, threatening to push her down. Instead, she found herself leaning back up against her father's legs, completely safe.

Longing filled Kate as she watched them in the water. But she was still too self-conscious about her body to move from her spot. As if sensing her gaze, James turned his head and locked eyes with her. He beckoned her with a quick nod of his head. Kate smiled slightly, waving her hand in dismissal.

"Come on Kate," he called out to her. When she shook her head at him, he made a move towards her, hoisting Naomi up in his arms. "Pregnant or not, I'll drag you out here if I have to," he threatened. Kate could see the laugh on his face even from a distance.

"Don't even think about it, Diamond," she called back.

"Kaaaaate," he said in warning. She watched as his eyes lit up, leaning his head down to whisper in Naomi's ear.

"Mommy! Come play!"

It was the plea from her daughter as she bounced in James' arms that had Kate sighing as she slowly got up off the sand.

"Sneaky jerk," she muttered as she approached the duo in the water. James gave her a wolfish smirk, trying to hold back a laugh.

"Knew you couldn't resist her," he said. Kate hit his arm as he set Naomi down. The small child took hold of her mother's hand and tugged.

"Sit mommy," she whined, trying to pull her down. Kate obliged, sitting down carefully in the shallow water, letting Naomi sit on her legs.

The girl laughed as the water just barely came up over them. Kate smiled at her, joining in as she splashed the small waves. She looked up to see James staring out into the distance; she knew that look.

"James." She waited till his eyes were back on her. "Why don't you go get your board and head out there?" she suggested, tilting her head towards the larger waves. James glanced at Naomi.

"You sure you're okay?" Kate laughed.

"I'm pregnant. Not an invalid. We'll be fine. Go be a surfer, Diamond."

That was all he needed. With a quick kiss to the top of her head, James was off. He grabbed his board and headed out into the water. Naomi stopped her splashing to watch her dad. Unsatisfied with the view, she stood up, trying to see him better. When she started to move further out, Kate called her name in warning.

"Naomi. Move back. Don't go past my feet."

The dark haired child obeyed, her eyes never leaving James. She stood right next to her mother, one hand holding onto her toes. She was entranced, completely captivated by the figure on the board. She squealed in delight as he began riding the waves.

"Daddy go!" she cried out, her small legs bouncing in excitement. Kate laughed and nodded at her.

She could see exactly why their daughter was so entranced. Kate loved to watch James surf. He'd tried a few times to get her back on a board, but after that first failed attempt, she refused. But that didn't mean she couldn't admire her husband's muscular form as he maneuvered in the waves.

After a few more minutes of this, Kate stood up and walked with Naomi back to their spot on the beach. She pulled out a few sandwiches from the lunch tote and a juice box out of the cooler. Making sure Naomi could still see James, she handed her a sandwich and juice, encouraging her to eat.

Naomi attacked her sandwich, eyes still trained on her father. Every time a wave overtook him, she'd let out a sound of disappointment. "S'okay daddy!" she'd say, as if James could hear her.

As they were finishing up, James came back. He flipped his wet hair out of his face and dropped the board onto the sand before sitting down next to them. Naomi immediately climbed onto his lap, uncaring about how wet he was or the fact that she was covered in sand.

"Daddy rided on water," she stated, staring up at him adoringly. James laughed and kissed the top of her head.

"Well daddy tried to. Can you toss me a water, babe?" he asked Kate. She reached into the cooler and pulled out a bottle, handing it to him. "Thanks," he said before twisting off the cap and guzzling down the drink.

"She couldn't keep her eyes off you," Kate said, gesturing to their daughter. She had climbed off James' lap and was currently sitting on his surfboard, pretending to surf. James smirked at Kate.

"Oh yeah. I've heard I'm pretty irresistible."

Kate rolled her eyes at him. "You better be careful. She's going to want to follow you out there next time."

He raised an eyebrow up at her, glancing back at their daughter standing on his board. Catching his look, Kate looked at him quizzically.

"What?" she questioned. Realization suddenly dawned on her. "Oh no. I know what you're thinking. Not a chance, Diamond."

"Oh come on, Kate. What's the harm in starting to teach her?" James asked, running a hand through his drying hair.

"She's only a little over two! No way is my baby getting on a surfboard."

"It's not like I'm going to take her out far. Besides, she loves the water. She's practically a fish," he argued. Kate shook her head, refusing to hear it.

"No. No no no. She's too small for your board anyways."

James grinned at her. "We'll just have to get her one her own size then." He turned to Naomi. "What do you say, princess? Wanna learn how to surf?" he asked the small child.

Naomi clapped her hands in delight. "Yeah! Surf daddy!" she said excitedly, jumping up and down on the board. James laughed and stood up, his mind made up. He grabbed Naomi's hand in his, his board in the other. Kate panicked, sputtering at him.

"Naomi just ate. She can't go in the water," she protested, trying to keep them on shore.

"Babe, that's an old wives tale. Besides, she won't be _in_ the water. She'll just be sitting on the board."

"Oh like when you tried to teach me before almost drowning me?" Kate pointed out. James met her eyes and sighed.

"Kate, this is nothing like that. We're barely going in the water. This is our daughter, babe. I'm not going to do anything to put her in danger."

"Not intentionally…"

He sighed once more. "Babe, trust me."

Kate held his gaze, contemplating for a few moments before finally relenting. "You better be careful or your ass is mine, Diamond!"

"It already is," he said throwing her a wink. Kate couldn't help it; she let out a laugh.

"Ohhhh mommy! Bad word!" Naomi said, eyes wide as she covered her mouth. James laughed at that.

"She's right, babe. Quarter in the swear jar when we get home," he called out as they headed back towards the water.

Kate sat up, keeping her eyes fixed on the duo in the water. Her heart pounded as she watched James affix Naomi on the surfboard. He was standing, waist high in the water as he held the board, just letting her float along. Even from a distance she could hear the tiny giggles coming from her daughter.

After a few minutes, Kate relaxed. But a short time later that faded. She gasped, watching as James helped Naomi to stand on the board. Her hand came up to cover her heart, as if that would help calm the erratic beat.

James kept one hand on her at all times, making sure that she was steady. As a few waves came up, Naomi shrieked, followed almost instantly by another giggle. A fluttering in her stomach made Kate break her gaze. She looked down at her stomach, placing a hand on top to feel the tiny kicks. A small smile appeared on her face.

The sound of laughter had her head lifting once more. James and Naomi were walking back, slowly. Kate could see her daughter's eyes drooping. Checking her phone she noted that it was around Naomi's nap time. James grinned at her as they approached the blankets.

"Mommy! You see me?" Naomi asked as she flopped down next to her. Kate placed a kiss on top of her daughter's head and nodded.

"I did. You did so good, baby."

"And nobody drowned," James stated. He sat down on Kate's other side, casually draping an arm across her shoulders.

"Yes, well let's keep it that way," Kate replied, rolling her eyes at her husband's grin. The fluttering started again, making her look down once more. James eyed her, brief concern flitting into his gaze.

"Everything okay?" he asked lightly. Kate smiled up at him.

"Yeah. Just some movement."

"Baby?" came Naomi's voice. Both adults turned to her. She was staring up at Kate, eyes wide. Kate nodded at her.

"Yes. Baby is moving. Here." She took her daughter's small hand in her own, placing it on her stomach over the movement. She watched as her eyes lit up, growing wider as they felt the tiny kicks.

"Can baby play now?"

Kate laughed and shook her head. James leaned forward to lock eyes with their daughter, his hand coming out to smooth back some of her flyaway hair.

"No, princess. Baby's gotta stay all nice and warm in mommy's tummy for a little while longer."

Naomi pouted, her lower lip trembling slightly, a tell tale sign of impending waterworks. Anticipating this, James reached across and plucked her up, placing her directly between them. Kate looked at James. "It's her nap time," she mouthed to him. James nodded in understanding before turning back to Naomi.

"How about you take a short nap, and when you wake up we'll play some more. Sound good, princess?" He started to shift her over into his arms, but Naomi pushed him away, moving closer to Kate.

"Daddy… I stay with mommy," she said, snuggling into Kate's side, holding on tightly. She tried to suppress a yawn, but failed. Her eyes shut slowly as she curled up against her mom.

Kate and James remained quiet, wanting to be sure that the small child was really asleep. Kate's right hand remained on her stomach, rubbing in absent circles, pausing every few seconds as she felt the baby move. James sat there, watching her, a small smile on his face. He reached a hand over, placing it over hers. Without saying a word, Kate took his hand and placed it as she had Naomi's, so he could feel as well.

"Ours," he said simply.

"Ours," she repeated. She glanced down at the sleeping child resting against her side. Once again, trepidation filled her. Noticing the change in her expression, James spoke.

"What is it, babe?" he asked gently. Kate hesitated a moment, unsure. "No running, Kate."

She sighed at his words. "Do you think we're ready for this?"

James gave a small laugh. "Hell no. We weren't ready for the first one either, though. But we figured it out. We'll figure this out too."

Kate still wasn't convinced.

"James. What if something goes wrong again?" she asked quietly. Her eyes were looking down at their daughter, uncertainty in them. James placed a hand under her chin and lifted her face to his. He pressed his lips softly against hers.

"It'll be okay, Kate."

"How do you know?" James shrugged.

"I don't. But we've made it through everything else. We'll make it through this. Dr. Alexander said everything is going perfectly. She's not going to let it happen again. And neither will I." He picked up her hand and placed it once more on her stomach, giving her a grin. "And just think. In a few months, we'll have another baby. Another part of our family."

Seeing the excitement in his eyes had Kate smiling. She lifted his hand and placed a kiss on it. "Thank you," she murmured.

"For what?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

"For loving me. For knowing exactly what to say to calm my fears. You've always been able to do that."

He laughed lightly and kissed her.

"Love you, Kate," he said, putting an arm around her shoulders.

She settled into his embrace, careful for their daughter still sleeping between them. As her head rested on his shoulder, she felt at ease; she felt safe. James always managed to make her feel that way. She turned her head slightly, pressing her lips in a soft kiss to his skin. "Love you," she murmured back to him.

Maybe they weren't ready. But he was right. They'd figure it out, together.


End file.
